discussion NYT: “Americans are down on Biden. But why does his party keep winning elections”?

[Bears01]

https://www.nytimes.com/2023/09/26/us/politics/democrats-special-elections-biden.html
 

A deep and interesting dive into why, despite Biden being a horribly unpopular politician/ president, the Democratic Party is currently over performing In an off year elections that historically has been predicative off future results 

Edited September 26, 2023 by Bears01

[KiiKii_Muppisha]

Only racists are down on Biden.

 

Everyone else I know rather him than Trump. Also, Democrats are just overall better. 

[Taylena]

I feel like most MAGAs only trust Trump and want to vote for him only. They might hate Democrats more but they also despise some Republicans.  The general election with Trump vs Biden is gonna be very different from any local election so far. 

[AmericanIdol]

Because the other option is even WORSE. Not voting for Biden would be going from worse to WORST

[LustSpell]

Because post Dobbs I think the average person is smart enough to pick the less worse person, even if they're aware he's not doing much. 💀 Contrary to belief from people on the internet and here

Edited September 26, 2023 by LustSpell

[Virgos Groove]

Because *gestures broadly at the Republican Party*

[HEAVYONIT]

6 minutes ago, Virgos Groove said:

Because *gestures broadly at the Republican Party*

Pretty much this. As normal in American politics, the public views the choice as between the lesser of two evils...and that is clearly Democrats.

 

There is also WAY too much emphasis in American politics on the power of the President. Americans view the President as some almighty, all-power wielding position, and the truth is the President actually has much less power than people realize. 

[Bears01]

13 minutes ago, Taylena said:

I feel like most MAGAs only trust Trump and want to vote for him only. They might hate Democrats more but they also despise some Republicans.  The general election with Trump vs Biden is gonna be very different from any local election so far. 

This is a very good point. After Obama won in 2008, republicans DOMINATED downballot races during the entirety of Obama’s presidency. They had educated/suburban voters in the palm of their hands and they held so much state control, they almost had the numbers to do a constitutional amendment after 2016 Republicans traded them away. 
 

Still, the data still shows that special elections are relatively predicative of how a big election is going to turn out: https://abcnews.go.com/amp/538/democrats-winning-big-special-elections/story?id=103315703

 

the only noticeable recent exception in 1997-1998 (and that’s not even really recent). 

[Duanielipa]

I think its mainly the Republican voter base is turning into a Trump almost cult so when there's no Trump on the ballot there's no enthusiasm for the Republican party.

 

The Republicans are also slowly losing their most reliable voter base which is the white well educated middle class who are becoming more and more democratic and they always turn out for elections.

[DuffLavigne]

The lesser evil of the two?

[Mr. Mendes]

The answer seems pretty obvious, no?

[katykater]

Because everyone else want to keep Trump out. To prevent cutting the support for Ukraine, because if Ukraine falls, the russians would never be satisfied by conquering Ukraine. They want Poland too and if article 5 is invoked. Trump could back out of NATO and tell the rest that they are on their own.

 

So we would end up in the WWII situation of the bravest/strongest will win and all the territories on the world map are up for grabs. That's the danger of appeasement and isolationism.

 

We have a hot war now instead of a Cold War, because we didn't built up the militaries and threaten to use overwhelming force if russia puts a foot wrong.

 

The last thing everyone wants, is that dictators could grab any country they want to conquer/subjugate/enslave.

[Trent W]

The answer is obvious 

 

But I don’t understand why Democrats keep shoving Biden on everyone

 

Any other democrat with a functioning brain and the capability to talk is a better option

 

[Bosque]

They don’t like Biden because he is too old, but they can’t deny his policies are working 

[Bears01]

Just now, Trent W said:

The answer is obvious 

 

But I don’t understand why Democrats keep shoving Biden on everyone

 

Any other democrat with a functioning brain and the capability to talk is a better option

 

Biden sucks, but fam, I can promise you: Kamala is NOT a better option. She would be the likely alternative, and she would be an electoral disaster. 
 

Others that people are not clamoring for on this site, I think would be better: Gretchen Whitmer, Raphael Warnock, Josh Shapiro etc. 

[Onyxmage]

People hate politics and politicians more than ever right now so thats not surprising. However, people REALLY hate Republicans, especially Millennials and Gen z.

[Trent W]

5 minutes ago, Onyxmage said:

People hate politics and politicians more than ever right now so thats not surprising. However, people REALLY hate Republicans, especially Millennials and Gen z.

Lol people hate anyone with any kind of power right now, and fairly so

 

I was anti-socialism pre-pandemic, but the situation right now, especially in the US is a disaster for most people.

 

We are kind of in a silent depression, anyone who is not feeling it is in a privileged position or in a bubble.

 

But talking to different people from all backgrounds you can see it

[EnigmaticAndroid]

1 hour ago, Duanielipa said:

The Republicans are also slowly losing their most reliable voter base which is the white well educated middle class who are becoming more and more democratic and they always turn out for elections.

This is a big one. Purely anecdotal, but my parents and most of my extended family fall into that category and despite being lifelong Republicans, have completely turned on the party and don't plan on voting for them unless they're significantly more moderate.

[Archetype]

He's a symbol of a political era that is dying, but one that focused on respect regardless of political affiliation and a sort of gentlemanly approach to politics and international relations.  He helps make Dems look rather calm and sensible in comparison to what can only be described as the barbaric and insane nature of the GOP.  

 

Whoever is to follow as the next next Democrat in the White House will need to find some way to bridge his era with the younger voter base.  I can't think of a single person to do so.

Edited September 26, 2023 by Archetype

[Onyxmage]

21 minutes ago, Trent W said:

Lol people hate anyone with any kind of power right now, and fairly so

 

I was anti-socialism pre-pandemic, but the situation right now, especially in the US is a disaster for most people.

 

We are kind of in a silent depression, anyone who is not feeling it is in a privileged position or in a bubble.

 

But talking to different people from all backgrounds you can see it

but thats worldwide. Inflation and to a larger extend corporate price gouging along with stagnant wages has hit everyone  around the world not just in the US. The problem with Republicans is that not only are they not doing anything to help in ANY way they are actively taking away rights and hurting Americans every way they can while basically laughing at us and saying its our fault. Boomers and Gen X (aka Trump voters) might be okay with that but millennials and gen z can see exactly what they are doing. Which is why I said, everyone hates politicians but the younger voters despise the GOP (and rightfully so).

[GhostBox]

45 minutes ago, Dephira said:

They don’t like Biden because he is too old, but they can’t deny his policies are working 

👏🏼

[Chemist]

Everyone knows Biden is just a puppet of the democratic party. He has horrible approval ratings but it's obvious that he is not the one making desicions.

 

People are nowadays voting for a party (or against the other party)

[ClashAndBurn]

5 hours ago, Dephira said:

They don’t like Biden because he is too old, but they can’t deny his policies are working 

How? Inequality is worse than it's ever been, and he's failed at nearly every policy push he's tried to make.

[Breathe On Moi]

5 hours ago, Dephira said:

They don’t like Biden because he is too old, but they can’t deny his policies are working 

you ate this mama 

[ClashAndBurn]

7 minutes ago, Breathe On Moi said:

you ate this mama 

Again. What policies? Not being Trump? Because that's the only policy of his that's succeeded, and barely, since his policies in practice haven't been all that different.